Season 1 - 13 episodes (2021)
Rent Abbott Elementary on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Quinta Brunson
Starring: Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Sheryl Lee Ralph
Rated: TV-PG
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Plot
Follows a group of teachers brought together in one of the worst public schools in the country, simply because they love teaching.
Verdict
It's a faux documentary workplace comedy much like The Office, but this has a social commentary edge depicting an underfunded school. That's a byproduct, not the focus. The characters are well developed and easy to like as at their core they all care about helping the children. We watch them work together for that goal. This depicts the daily life of the teachers, though the principal is the only character that's so silly it's not believable.
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Review
Janine (Qunita Brunson) is a new teacher ready to tackle every problem. She's young, excited, and determined. That certainly gets her into trouble as the school operates in a standard way.Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is the veteran that controls her kids without saying a word. The principal, Ava (Janelle Jones), is inept and under qualified. It's a running joke that seems out of place as none of the other characters are so ridiculous. Ava constantly uses school funds for personal items. While the show provides an excuse, it's lacking. I like the idea of a principal that has never taught, but this takes it too far. There's no way Ava wouldn't be questioned and even fired.
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| Quinta Brunson plays Janine |
Every day the teachers try to make due with limited resources. They teach because they care about the children. Despite workplace drama that's usually well-intentioned, the teachers support each other because they all know why they're at the school. Janine is the origin for most of the episode's plots as she's excited to change the world. Barbara is the veteran that often reminds her how hard the world can be, but even Barbara isn't immune to Janine's inherent hope for something better.
The format is certainly well-used. The Office established it with several shows following a documentary style. This show certainly isn't as funny as The Office, but it is more wholesome while conveying the message that teachers are limited. They need supplies, they need help from parents, they need a support system. The teachers in this show overcome their circumstances because they have to because that's unfortunately part of the job. That aspect of the show is a by product. The show isn't a campaign to better fund teachers. It's just a reality of the world this show depicts. This is a work place comedy as new and veteran teachers learn to work together while other characters figure out what they want to do in life.
The budget certainly seems limited. We only see six teachers and only five of those are main characters that appear in each episode. That's not a problem as constraints push the focus to each episode's plot. Most episodes are self contained making this an easy watch.
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